What Can We Learn from Our Ride on “The Express”?

The 2008 sports film, “The Express” highlights the collegiate career of Syracuse University running back Ernie Davis during the 1950s and 1960s, a time when segregation and discrimination were key. I break down some lessons that we can learn from the film and apply them to our lives. (Credit: Yahoo)

So many legendary sports films have captivated audiences from around the globe and what their powerful messages do to inspire a new generation of athletes looking to make the big times. I remember one day during the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was on my tablet on Pluto TV looking for a movie to watch. Other than the NFL Channel that the app had, they had plenty of movies I watched over the years. But one of these titles caught my attention. The movie was entitled “The Express”.

Released in 2008 and based on a true story, the movie stars actor Rob Brown who portrays a football player by the name of Ernie Davis as he battles to become one of the great backs in the NCAA during a time when segregation was key all over the United States. This film explores themes like civil rights, discrimination, and athletic ability. In one of the great sports films that I have seen in recent years (other than Rocky and Race), this movie has so many highlights that I wanted to explore with you all today. This will be my second sports movie I decided to cover. So come on board the express train and we will break down some lessons.

So for those who do not know Ernie Davis, he is the first African-American college football player to win the Heisman Trophy, which is college football’s most prestigious prize. He did this while playing for Syracuse University and battled so many wars during his rise to fame. While he had a great collegiate career, we never would have known what he was able to accomplish at the professional level. Expected to be drafted in the 1962 NFL Draft, he passed away due to a battle with leukemia during the same year he was supposed to be drafted.

I think the first thing that we must realize is that in life, we can come from tough situations and better ourselves and improve. By learning from lessons or situations that have happened when we were young, we can build ourselves back up and become wiser in experience. In the movie, Davis had a rough childhood. He had lost his father due to a car accident and then his mother could not raise him by herself and he ended up living with his grandparents. He would then go to New York to live with his mother again and that is when he took on sports. Even when he accepted the Heisman Trophy, he had to leave the event because this was during a time when blacks and whites could not get along, but none of these things ever stopped Davis from pursuing his dream.

I think another lesson we can takeaway is that we must realize we all bleed the same. Segregation was huge in New York during the 1960s, and was actually statistically one of the largest segregated metropolitan areas in the United States. In fact, according to Google AI, Harlem, New York was one of the few spots to not mandate segregation in their schools, because of the large number of African Americans who lived there. You also had during Davis’ time the 1964 School Boycott which highlighted several incidents in which both African-Americans and Latinos were treated horribly. But we also have to look at what the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic brought in. We have seen so many social injustices and people divided more than ever whether in politics, sports, entertainment, or even just in school and work. We have to realize that everyone is worthy and special in their own different way and that these issues should not stop us from pursuing the goals and dreams that we have.

Another lesson we can learn from this movie is character. So many of us have a reputation of a “me first” and in the 2020s, we have seen many changes in characters where we are trying to fit in and be involved in everyone’s circle. In fact, we even sometimes make our own slang language just to try to fit in someone else’s puzzle. Suddenly people who never did substance abuse or even get involved in the wrong crowd suddenly have a change of heart and do these things. Davis, in the movie, easily could have been involved in situations where he had no business being in. But he maintained a level of focus and had a positive character and image that made him rise to fame. We can learn from Mr. Davis and be the change in a world that is so broken and in need of help.

I highly recommend watching this sports film. It can make a huge impact in your life.